Air Force recruits must score at least 36 points the 99-point ASVAB. The overall ASVAB score is known as the AFQT score, or Armed Forces Qualification Test score. Exceptions may be made, however, for a handful of high school graduates who can score as low as 31. The vast majority, some 70 percent, of those accepted for an Air Force enlistment achieve a score of 50 or above.
The IRT model underlying ASVAB scoring is the three-parameter logistic (3PL) model. The 3PL model represents the probability that an examinee at a given level of ability will respond correctly to an individual item with given characteristics. Specifically, the item characteristics represented in the 3PL model are difficulty, discrimination (i.e., how well the item discriminates among examinees of differing levels of ability), and guessing (i.e., the likelihood that a very low ability examinee would respond correctly simply by guessing).

After adopting the test in 1976 the test became a way of indicating whether or not an individual was 100% qualified to serve. As previously mentioned this aptitude test has a colorful history. That is because it underwent a dramatic change in 2002 and another dramatic change in 2004. The change that occurred in 2002 expanded the categories of the test and the overall difficulty. This can be seen by the addition of all of the diverse categories below:

Your choice of military career depends on your success on the ASVAB. Those looking to score the highest will use an ASVAB Test Study Guide for an overall review and back this up with a set of ASVAB Test Flashcards to drill down on problem areas. Responsibility is a key value of our nation's military, and the first step is taking responsibility for your own ASVAB preparation.
The Mechanical Comprehension section of the ASVAB practice test measures your understanding of basic mechanical principles and mechanisms. You may be asked why an intake valve on a pump opens when the piston goes down, or what direction friction is going when shown a diagram of a skier. The CAT-ASVAB has 16 questions in 20 minutes; the paper-and-pencil version has 25 questions in 19 minutes.
The AFQT score is a percentile score. What does that mean? In 1997, a study, known as the "Profile of American Youth," was conducted by the Department of Defense in cooperation with the Department of Labor. DOD administered the ASVAB to around 12,000 individuals, ranging in age from 16 to 23. Your AFQT score is a comparison of how well you scored on the four subtests, compared to those who took the ASVAB as part of the 1997 survey. In other words, if you have an AFQT score of 70, that means you scored as well or better than 70 percent of those 12,000 folks.
Whereas recruits who join as officers tend to be upwardly-mobile,[14][15] most enlisted personnel have a childhood background of relative socio-economic deprivation.[16][17][18] For example, after the US suspended conscription in 1973, "the military disproportionately attracted African American men, men from lower-status socioeconomic backgrounds, men who had been in nonacademic high school programs, and men whose high school grades tended to be low".[14]
A lot of people see the “CAT” term attached to the ASVAB test when they first start looking into the test and aren’t sure what that stands for. This term is an acronym and it stands for “Computerized Adaptive Test”. There are three different versions of the ASVAB test. The CAT is available at military processing stations for enlisting soldiers. The pencil and paper (also known as the P&P or S-ASVAB) version of the test is available for high school and college students who may not actually enlist. The third type of ASVAB test is the MET-ASVAB, or Mobile Examination Test, which is available only for enlisted soldiers at mobile testing centers (this test is also done with paper and pencil).
There are nine different test areas as part of the ASVAB: general science, arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, mathematics knowledge, electronics information, auto and shop information, assembling objects, and mechanical comprehension. The paragraph comprehension test area contains the fewest questions with 15. The word knowledge test area contains the most questions with 35. All other sections contain 20, 25, or 30 questions. Taking numerious ASVAB practice tests is recommended for test day success.
ASVAB CEP test results are sent to students’ schools so they can explore career options with counselors. The scores show how well the student did on each subject, and how they compare with others who took the test. There are three composite scores in Verbal, Math, and Science and Technical skills, and the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score is also reported.
In broad usage, the terms "armed forces" and "military" are often treated as synonymous, although in technical usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country's armed forces may include both its military and other paramilitary forces. Armed force is the use of armed forces to achieve political objectives. There are various forms of irregular military forces, not belonging to a recognized state; though they share many attributes with regular military forces, they are less often referred to as simply "military".
Don’t let the PC section of the test throw you for a loop. Unlike the individual multiple choice questions in other sections, here you will need to read a paragraph and answer several questions in a row based on that one paragraph. The people who designed this section of the exam really knew how to make sure you are able to read detailed (and often boring) documents, remember the details of what you read, understand why they’re important, and be able to pick out the key concepts they illustrate. When you read each paragraph, it’s helpful to know the kinds of questions you’ll be asked at the end. There are basically four kinds of questions to test your comprehension:
Other training and auxiliary organizations of the Army, Marine Corps, Merchant Marine, Civil Air Patrol and Coast Guard Auxiliary, as in the preceding order. The CAP was constituted through the Administrative Order 9 of 1 December 1941 and operated under the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. The CAP became the official civilian auxiliary of the newly independent USAF with the enactment of Public Law 80-557 on 26 May 1948.
All of the branches work together during operations and joint missions in Unified Combatant Commands, under the authority of the Secretary of Defense with the typical exception of the Coast Guard. Each of the Unified Combatant Commands is headed by a Combatant Commander, a senior commissioned officer who exercises supreme command authority per 10 U.S.C. § 164 over all of the forces, regardless of branch, within his geographical or functional command. By statute, the chain of command flows from the President to the Secretary of Defense to each of the Combatant Commanders.[22] In practice, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff often acts as an intermediary between the Secretary of Defense and the Combatant Commanders.
Another big advantage of practice tests is that they are fun. It’s fun to challenge yourself and see what you know. Instead of wondering if you are studying the right things or just wasting your valuable time, good practice tests can help you find out what you need to know while injecting your study time with excitement and competition as you try to outdo yourself each time you take a test.
Word Knowledge (WK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC), Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), and Mathematics Knowledge (MK). Scores on the AFQT are used to determine your eligibility for enlistment in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps. The other six test scores on the ASVAB tests are used to determine the best job for you in the military as your grades will demonstrate knowledge, skill, and interest in certain subjects and tasks.
International protocols restrict the use, or have even created international bans on weapons, notably weapons of mass destruction (WMD). International conventions define what constitutes a war crime, and provides for war crimes prosecution. Individual countries also have elaborate codes of military justice, an example being the United States' Uniform Code of Military Justice that can lead to court martial for military personnel found guilty of war crimes.
These tests, again the high quality ones, are formatted like the real thing so you can get used to the question and answer formats and the time limits so nothing will be a surprise on test day. You’ll know what to expect and you’ll be used to going from different concept to different concept as is often required on the ASVAB. For example, on the math section you may have a problem using one popular math principle followed by another problem that relies on a completely different principle. This is common on a broad test like the ASVAB and preparing your mind to make these leaps can allow you to answer more questions in less time and boost your score.
As an adjective, military originally referred only to soldiers and soldiering, but it soon broadened to apply to land forces in general, and anything to do with their profession.[2] The names of both the Royal Military Academy (1741) and United States Military Academy (1802) reflect this. However, at about the time of the Napoleonic Wars, 'military' began to be used in reference to armed forces as a whole,[2] and in the 21st century expressions like 'military service', 'military intelligence', and 'military history' encompass naval and air force aspects. As such, it now connotes any activity performed by armed force personnel.
The military uses the verbal expression (VE) score to measure your communicative ability. The score goes toward computing the AFQT score as well as many of the military’s line scores. The military brass determine your VE score by first adding the value of your Word Knowledge (WK) raw score to your Paragraph Comprehension (PC) raw score. The result is then converted to a scaled score ranging from 20 to 62.
The Kaplan guide has everything I needed to prepare myself for the exam. The book was a great help for refreshing my memory in math and English for the test. Timing yourself on the practice tests is also a great way to make sure you are ahead of the game and never worry about time in the actual test. This is one of the best study guides I have ever seen or used but be prepared to spend time doing the work. As I said it will take hours to go through the material and learn what you need. I believed this book had a direct result in scoring an AFQT of 99. Excellent Book!

Disclaimer: This is a private website that is NOT affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site contains information about GI Bill benefits, VA loans, news and services for military veterans and is not connected with any government agency. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by Veteran Affairs, visit the official site for veterans benefits at Veterans Affairs. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.